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    John Lazarus?

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    sinless


    Posts : 5
    Join date : 2009-05-31

    John Lazarus? Empty John Lazarus?

    Post  sinless Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:27 am

    I have no connection whatsoever with the author of http://www.thedisciplewhomjesusloved.com/Bible_study_disciple_Jesus_loved/

    I like what it says, though, and wonder if you could give me your opinion.

    I found it when I was in a men's study, and the leadership was practically trying to create a new Law about how important human friends are.

    I raised my hand and said, "I want to be like Jesus, and I don't think he needed human friends as badly as you indicate."

    The response was, "Lazarus and John," which, of course shut my mouth.

    So I started looking -- and found that perhaps "John" was really Lazarus. It at least gives more meaning to the friendship between Jesus and Lazarus than friendship for no explicible reason.
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    birks10


    Posts : 36
    Join date : 2009-02-15

    John Lazarus? Empty Re: John Lazarus?

    Post  birks10 Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:03 pm

    Hi sinless,

    Sorry about taking so long to reply. I did not get notified that someone had posted like i usually do. Yes, i've read Philip's book on "The Beloved Disciple." This, along with discussions with others who hold to this view led me into a larger study on what the scripture does and does not say on this matter. To put it simply,i believe that to say that Lazarus was the beloved disciple is based upon conjecture and no real NT evidence. Just because the beloved disciple does not come out and name himself as John(or Lazarus for that matter) is insufficient reason to claim that he was Lazarus. It's simply an argument from silence, which is the weakest of all the arguments of logic. I am satisfied from my own study that no one outside of the 12 attended the last supper for instance with Jesus. Next, all the Greek manuscriupts that we possess have John's name as the author of the gospel ad the epistle. If we say it was Lazarus using John's name as a pseudonym, we have to ask what the reason would be for such a thing? Then we have to deal with the idea that the Holy Spirit inspired Lazarus to lie and therby bring the inspiration of the text into question. This is a large subject, but i have satisfied myself that I investigated the matter thorughly and believe that not only is it not possible that Lazarus was the beloved disciple, but that there is more internal and external evidence to believe that John was.

    Dr. B...
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    birks10


    Posts : 36
    Join date : 2009-02-15

    John Lazarus? Empty Re: John Lazarus?

    Post  birks10 Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:21 am

    Hello, sinless...

    I apologize to you and the others who have posted here for not responding to all these posts. shame on me. My pitiful excuse is that I was under the impression that after we launched "The Doctor is In", that since there were so few questions, that we had discontinued the feature of this room. I have now been alerted as to the situation being otherwise. So, even though some of these posts are pretty old, I will still attempt some responses.

    As to your question about the author of John's gospel as being someone other than John the apostle and rather being Lazarus.... some time back I read the book you are referring to and I found it to be based largely on carrying the presupposition of John being Lazarus, to an illogical and unbiblical conclusion. I will be brief: No where in John's gospel does the author say he is Lazarus. The other side of that is that no where does the gospel say that John the apostle wrote it either. However, both Polycarp and Irenaeus (both 2nd to 3rd century fathers),say that John the apostle was the author of the fourth gospel. Also, Tertullian (155-222) and Clement of Alexandria (2nd Century), say that John was the author. Also, whoever wrote the gospel also wrote 1-3 John, as the grammar, syntax and vocabulary- meaning the total style of writing, is the same as the gospel author's writing. One of the main arguments used for Lazarus being the writer of John, is that he was an attendant at the last supper. (Because the "disciple whom Jesus loved," laid his head on the chest of Christ during the supper). However, if you look at all 4 gospel accounts, you will find that only the 12 and Christ were there at the supper. Taken all together, the evidence as far as im concerned not only disallows Lazarus as being the author of the 4th gospel, but all internal and external evidence points to John the apostle as the beoved disciple.

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